Faulty Plymouth traffic lights blamed on "bad weather"

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FAULTY traffic lights have been causing chaos on the city’s roads – and council chiefs have blamed the problems on bad weather.Drivers have reported several blank sets of lights at junctions across Plymouth over the last month, which they say pose a serious danger to car users and pedestrians.Our interactive map, below, shows reports of traffic light failures in Plympton, Compton, Keyham, Greenbank, Tothill, Milehouse and the city centre since the start of April.Plymouth City Council, which is responsible for 163 traffic signals across the city, says there has been a “small increase” in faulty lights.“Working closely with our maintenance contractor we aim to ensure every set of lights is always in working order,” a spokesman said.“In recent months there has been a small increase in faults, mainly due to the severe weather we encountered earlier in the year, a combination of heavy rain and high winds.“This is a pattern which is not just being seen across Plymouth, but the region as a whole.“Faults are dealt with as soon as they happen and where repairs are required these are carried out as a matter of urgency to ensure road users safety."We asked users of The Herald’s Facebook page whether they have noticed a rise in faulty traffic lights in their area.Claire Anstis said: “The ones at Pennycomequick outside Tremain news are always broken. Nightmare for crossing when taking the boy to nursery.”Katie Mad said: “Milehouse junction – nightmare when these go down.”Billie-Ann Waite said: “The other morning the traffic lights were out at Wolseley Road/Milehouse Road. So dangerous.”Emma-Leigh Young said: “People have been involved in minor collisions, sooner or later it will get worse and there will be serious injuries. I’m sure the council want people’s lives in their hands. Get it sorted.”Lorraine Howells added: “Over the last week I have witnessed four separate traffic junctions that have been left to hazard. One was out for more than five hours.”Last summer a small broken piece of electrical equipment caused weeks of traffic chaos at a busy Plympton junction.The signals, at Cot Hill and Plymouth Road, stopped working on August 17, leaving drivers to tentatively navigate the key connecting junction between Plymstock and Plympton, which allows drivers to connect to the Marsh Mills roundabout and the A38.Plymouth City Council engineers investigated and found a key piece of the traffic signal controller mechanism had broken and needed to be replaced.Residents who need to report a road fault can contact the Plymouth Watchman team by calling 01752 668000, or emailing plymouth.watchman@amey.co.uk.

It's all happening on the roads this morning. Now the traffic lights on Outland Rd / Milehouse junction have decided to pack up! #Plymouth

Traffic light faults in PlymouthMar 4Lights at junction of Mannamead Rd and Thornhill Road not workingApril 4Lights at junction of Beaumont Rd and Tothill Avenue out of service.Apr 21Lights at the junction of Drake Circus ad Charles Street not working Apr 22Reports of queueing traffic on Coburg Street between Saltash Road and Drake Circus due to traffic lights not working.Apr 28Junction of Milehouse Road and Ford Hill – reports the traffic lights have failed.April 29Traffic lights out on Cot Hill at the junction with Plymouth RoadMay 6Traffic lights out at junction of Milehouse Rd and Ford HillMay 6Traffic lights out of order on Wolseley Road near the junction with Henderson PlaceMay 7Outland Road traffic lights have failed at Milehouse InterchangeSource: @bbctravelsw and @plymouthroads on Twitter

7 comments

Green Gom, wasn't there a serious accident on Outland Road a few weeks ago when the ones at Ham Drive failed?
http://tinyurl.com/mcpuen4
It wasn't flowing too well then, and a complete nightmare to cross the road.

i don't know what all the fuss is about the traffic was running better without the lights in most areas,
don't need them any were, they just cost far to much but Plymouth must get a backhander for having so many in our city

I suppose Tudor Evans will blame a shortage of funds as he usually does.It amazes me how he can always find millions of pounds for ridiculous traffic calming schemes which we all know causes more traffic chaos on our roads than all the traffic lights going off together.I have always said and i always will .He is anti motorist.With the millions he wastes ,we could have some of the finest roads in the country.

So, the weather is to blame for everything wrong with our roads. It seems to me that our successive penny pinching administrations lack of forward planning, shoddy or non-existant regular maintenance has caught up in the grand manner. Local elections are nearly upon us. Please use your vote and just perhaps we can get shot of the old guard and usher in a new, forward thinking administration that will work for us rather than for their own egos.